Hope
by Fullmetal Dr
Summary: After seeing her sensei leave Fuko has sworn that she will wait until the day he returns to see whether or not she will be able to love Hibiki sensei for who he really is or if she will only be able to see him as the sensei he used to be, meanwhile Hibiki Amawa sorts out his feeling of whether he can accept his love for Fuko or if his conscience will stop him from loving her.


Hope

Chapter 1

Fuko

Hibiki sensei. That's the only thing I can think about. I remember feeling a sense of relief as he left. Though I was sad to see him go even if he is a man his smile filled me with warmth and he a bit of hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe I can be able to love him someday but as he disappeared that calm happiness was replaced by a feeling of emptiness.

That's all I can think about as the train he is on disappears. I'm left sitting here in this empty field that overlooks the train above. I keep watching desperately hoping that he will come back but he never does.

I'm not sure how long I'm sitting there but once I'm sure he's gone I get up and slowly walk back to the dorms.

Why can't I stop thinking about him? Every time I try to think about Hibiki sensei the woman it's replaced by Hibiki sensei the man. I always thought of them as two separate people but now I can only see them as one no matter how hard I try.

When I get to the dorms I feel a sense of sorrow. As I walk through the main room I remember Hibiki sensei sitting there and talking with us. I feel my face blushing. I'm looking around hoping to find someone to distract me but there's no one there and I remember the assembly still happening at the school. At first I feel a sense of worry as I realize I'm missing school and am about to turn around and go back but when I remember all the times with Hibiki sensei. I don't feel like I'm ready to face that yet.

I don't know what to do anymore. Without even knowing what I'm doing I end up catching myself walking to the shower room. Thinking about it a shower might be helpful. No one's there so I undress and turn on the water.

As the hot water hits me I find myself slowly relaxing. It feels nice to feel the water dripping down me and I start to lean my head against the wall when images start flashing through my mind.

I see me running my first 50 meter dash without falling for the first time and watching as Hibiki sensei caught me as I fell. I see me running with Hibiki sensei on parent's day. Remember how I felt when sensei went on that date with the director's nephew. "Please stop" I cry out but the memories keep racing. I remember how we looked at each other during the camping trip, remember the time I confessed my love for sensei as she tried to rescue. I can't tell whether tears are coming down my face or if it's the water from the shower but either way I feel sad. The time we were in the hospital how we almost kissed. But then I remember what I felt when I learned that sensei was really a man. It wasn't really a feeling of sadness more of a feeling of confusion. I didn't know how I felt about sensei anymore.

"Sensei!" I cry out and now I'm sure that I'm crying. I'm thankful that no one is here to see me cry. In fact the last time I cried is when sensei was with me on parent day. "Sensei!" I scream again falling to my knees.

"Kuzuha" I hear. I look up and see Hibiki sensei smiling. The sensei I know is standing in front of me smiling at me her long brown hair is blowing to the side. "Why are you looking so down?"

"Sensei" I cry out and then sensei I remember is replaced by her real self. He smiles saying "you can do it." He says it in the same gentle voice as when I met him the first time. He said the same thing and that helped me finish the dash.

Still smiling he fades away. "Wait sensei don't go!" but it's too late he's already gone. A tear falls down my face. It's too cruel. Giving me hope and taking it away like that. "Sensei!" I scream again hoping that he'll come back but all my voice does is echo in the room. I begin to cry as I feel the hot water still beating down on me. "Sensei" I whisper under my breath but it's too late he's long gone.

I don't know how long I was crying for but when I get out and change everyone had already returned to the dorm.  
"Hey Fuko" Seiko says looking up from the couch.

"Oh hi Seiko" I say putting on a fake smile. I'm not in the mood to talk but I'm curious to know how the assembly went. Against my will I decide to ask. "What happened at the assembly?"

She looked puzzled at first but then her face lights up as if she remembered something. "That's right you left early." Leaning back she looks at the ceiling and then says "well I guess our performance was pretty good because we ended up with just enough votes to stay the same as we are. You can imagine how mad the vice principle was" she says laughing.

I look around and notice that Fujio and Miho are gone. "Hey where are Fujio and Miho."

"Huh" she looks puzzled and then says "oh Fujio didn't come back to the school and Miho was here just a minute ago," she recalls while looking around the room now full with girls.

Sighing I say goodbye and head to my room. The suns already setting I notice as I look out a nearby window. I'm walking to my room when I notice an open door. Peaking in I get a glance at Miho sitting on her window seal and looking out her window.

"Hey Miho."

Slowly she looks my way. "Oh hi Fuko." Her voice sounds sad.

"Is everything all right?"

She nods and I'm about to leave when she says "hey Fuko."

I turn around and she looks at the floor like she's ashamed of something. "What is it?"

She looks up and her eyes are full of sadness. "I said some horrible things to sensei didn't I"

I'm in shock and I don't know how to answer. I'm about to say something when she interrupts me saying "you don't have to lie Fuko I know how you really feel."

"I don't know how I feel I confess." She looks up at me in shock. Turning away from her I continue "ever since I learned who he really was I haven't treated him the same. I can't separate my feelings. I can't tell whether I love him or not."

Miho embraces me pulling me into a hug. At first I'm embarrassed but then feel like I can pour out my emotions. I put my head in her shoulder and feel a tear. "What should I do Miho?"

She's silent for a minute then says gently "I don't know Miho but whatever you do decide I'll be there to support you. You know I feel horrible I regret saying those things to sensei and never being able to apologize to him about it."

I look up "that's not true he promised to come back and he always keeps his promises."

A look of hope forms on her face and then she smiles saying "your right."

All of the memories forming and I'm about to cry when Miho says "It's all right to cry Fuko."

I can't hold back and I begin to sob and she stands there still holding me as I cry into her shoulder.

Later that night while I was sitting in my dorm room something occurred to me. Sensei didn't do anything wrong. He never lied, or did anything for his own pleasure. Everything he did was for us. I look at the picture of me and Hibiki sensei. Her picture starts to change with his real identity which makes me smile a little.

"You know sensei" I say looking at the photo. "I'll wait until you return otherwise I will never know what would've happened and I don't want to have to live with that regret for the rest of my life." Smiling I finish by saying "who knows maybe I'll be able to fall in love with you again but for real this time."


End file.
